I was so impressed when my friend Andy sent me this video of himself on Wall of Voodoo the first time he did the Cooper River.
Yes, he went offline at the top and got pushed into the left wall (usually the issue is getting pushed into an undercut wall a bit further down on the right), so the rest of the video is him attempting rolls while getting hung up on rocks and various things.
I think it's a great example of not pulling your skirt when you don't need to, which was the case in this situation. Here's my version of the video:
Basically, swimming is always an option and sometimes it's the safest thing to do. (If you're headed towards a logjam, sieve or pin hazard, the expert-approved response is typical classic horror movie style "GET OUUUT".)
However, in many situations you're safer and more protected in your kayak, so practicing "hanging in there" is, in my opinion, really good mental and physical training for not swimming unnecessarily in the future when the consequences for being out of your boat may be more severe.
I will point out that going over the next and final ledge on the Cooper upside down in your boat could result in seven stitches to one's eyebrow - completely hypothetically speaking.
Happy paddling. :)